When Angel City FC drafted Alyssa Thompson at the start of last season, it was almost cemented that they would do all they could to secure her younger sister and defender, Gisele Thompson. It came as no surprise when the team announced her signing, making the sisters teammates once more. The 2024 season was a busy one for the rookie defender, and while breaking into the Angel City defense is no easy task, she made the most of her opportunities, with her becoming a consistent fixture at the back.
The Gisele Thompson ⏭️ Sydney Leroux goal earns #AngelCityFC’s Play of the Match from #LAvUTA. This goal marks Sydney Leroux’s 48th career goal and Gisele Thompson’s first career assist.@JohnnieWalkerUS | Play of the Match pic.twitter.com/0tH8sSyosa
— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) October 21, 2024
The defender made her official NWSL debut in front of her home crowd in Los Angeles, for the club’s first match of the season when they took on Bay FC. It didn’t take long for Thompson to settle in, flashing her star potential as one of the lone bright spots in what was a tough start to the campaign for Angel City. She finished the 2024 season with 15 regular season appearances, 16 across all competitions, tallying just under 900 minutes for the club.
As many had expected, especially those that had seen her prior to coming to the league, Thompson came in using her pace and quickness to her advantage, which came in handy in LA’s system where they embraced their ‘track star fc’ label. Thompson finished with 88% pass success percentage with 400 passes. It took a bit, but in October she was finally able to secure her first career assist, serving up NWSL veteran forward, Sydney Leroux, for a goal that would help them share the points against Utah Royals FC.
In defense, Thompson won eight aerial duels, won 62% of her tackles finishing the year with 23 tackles and ended the campaign with 19 interceptions. Her impressive rookie season only gets even more astonishing when you figure in the fact she was doing all this while balancing US Women’s National Team responsibility. By June of her first season, Gisele was being called into the USWNT camp to train with the side. She was a pivotal player on the 2024 Fifa U-20 Women’s World Cup Bronze-winning side for the U.S. and by the end of the calendar year, was invited to the USWNT Futures Camp.
📰 #AngelCityFC announces that defender Gisele Thompson has agreed to a two-year contract extension with the club through 2028.
Full details here: angelcity.com/acfc-post/th…— Angel City FC (@angelcity.com) January 29, 2025 at 8:02 AM
Angel City weren’t about to let themselves lose this young defender to free agency. After a very successful first NWSL campaign, Gisele Thompson was offered a contract extension along with her older sister. The pair both extended to keep them in Los Angeles through the 2028 season, with Gisele extending for two seasons to do so. It’s clear that Thompson is not only in the plans for the future of the US Women’s National Team, but Angel City have made it clear she is also the future for their club.
Thoughts on Gisele Thompson? Leave a comment below!
1 Comment
Gisele Thompson is a great star footballer.
She possesses great skillful qualities, she attacks and defends so well.
She has incredible speed, dangerous over-head crosses from upfront attacks at the right flanks.
I’ve watched this very beautiful skillful girl, in action in the United States national women junior football team at world football tournaments, and she has at all times been quite amazing, such that I told people, Gisele Thompson is going to become a great football star.
I love her speed and dangerous overhead crosses.
She defends and attacks so strongly and brilliantly, and frequently orchestrates counter attacks at the right flank that has always end up disastrously on her opponents. She and her sister, Alyssa Thomson are a great blessing to their parents and the United States national football squad. Credits to their very beloved parents. Gisele Thompson really needs to be well catered for, and given full regular playing time, to give her more great experience. I love watching her in action a lot.
Keep up, keep on the acceleration, and never relent, dear Gisele Thompson!!!